Brian Sipe cannot relate to the pressures of being a high draft pick like DeShone Kizer.

When the Browns selected Sipe out of San Diego State in 1972, the seventh round was not even halfway through the NFL Draft.

Where Sipe can identify with the Browns’ current quarterback is the rocky start to his career in Cleveland. Sipe didn’t allow early setbacks to damage his confidence or ruin his development. Kizer, a second-round pick, returns to the lineup Sunday against the Titans after a one-game demotion in a 33-17 loss at Houston.

Selected in the 13th round, Sipe spent his first two seasons on the Browns’ taxi squad — a forerunner to the practice squad — and was benched multiple times early in his career.

Nowadays, the benching of young quarterbacks calls into question their future with the franchise. Sipe, who evolved into the league’s 1980 most valuable player, said being sat out should be considered part of the learning process and a motivational tool.